Alexa Hamilton

One of the many new teachers here on campus this year is Alexa Hamilton, who teaches Computer Science, Computer Maintenance, and AP Computer Science Principles. A graduate of the University of North Texas, Hamilton grew up in Castroville, a small town near San Antonio, and studied Media Arts in college. After getting her degree, Hamilton found her passion in education and completed her alternative teaching certification. Wingspan recently visited her and got to know more about her experience on campus so far.

Wingspan: What do you like about the school so far?

Hamilton: “It’s so big, like, y’all have so many things here and so many different electives and all that. And, like, where I come from it’s really small. So, this is just all new to me.”

Wingspan: What was your favorite subject in high school? 

Hamilton: “Band. I was a band kid.”

Wingspan: What inspired you to go into Media Arts? 

Hamilton: “I really liked music so I wanted to produce music. And that’s why I started it, and then I took a lot of film classes, and then I ended up in sports.”

Wingspan: So, were you super interested in computer science and technology as a kid? 

Hamilton: “No, I was not. I have a lot of family, though, that does computers, like my great uncle. He has this whole computer business. That’s what he does. Like, he goes and he fixes people’s computers and things. So, I’ve always been around it. But, I was never super interested until I started working on my certification.”

Wingspan: Why did you go into teaching? 

Hamilton: “It wasn’t originally my plan, but I started subbing when COVID hit and I really enjoyed it. So, I decided to get my alternative.”

Wingspan: So, why did you choose to teach computer-related subjects? 

Hamilton: “I have a degree in Media Arts, and so it was recommended to me to do technology. So, I’m learning it to teach you.”

Wingspan: And if you could teach any subject you wanted, what would it be?

Hamilton: “Does it have to be like a full subject? I’d love to go back to Pre-K. But, that’s just, like, being nice to people. But if I had to pick any other subjects in high school, I think theater or choir would be really fun.”

Wingspan: What part of teaching is your favorite? 

Hamilton: “I think just getting to know everybody, like just getting to know all the kids.”

Wingspan: What’s your pet peeve as a teacher?

Hamilton: “When people try to do other classes’ work in my class before they’ve done the work for my class.”

Wingspan: What do you do for fun outside school?

Hamilton: “I read a lot. I play rugby. That’s it right now.”

Wingspan: What are your favorite genres to read? 

Hamilton: “I currently like thriller mystery. I have a friend, and she’s one of the horror experts at Barnes and Noble, so I get a lot of recommendations from her.”

Wingspan: What advice do you have for your students?

Hamilton: “ I want them to take their work seriously, but I don’t want them spending hours on something because they’re, like, scared to ask for help. And so, even so far this year, I’ve had so many kids where they’re like, “oh, I spent like -”, they’ve emailed me at, like, 11 p.m. And I don’t want you to stress that much about it.We’re not at that point where you need to worry that much about things. And so, I kind of want them to just slow down and take a breath sometimes.”

Wingspan: So, did you ever think that you’d be teaching computer science when you were in high school?

Hamilton: “No. I didn’t think I’d be a teacher in high school. So, that’s where I ended up, but I like it.”